Improvement in refrigerators



J. BOSTWIGK.

Refrigerator;

N6. 216,935. Patented July 1,1879.

JNVE'NT 0R 'Wiinesses UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOSEPH BOSTWIQK, OF MISHAWAKA, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Fatent No. 216,935, dated July 1,1879; application filed February 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH Bos'rWIoK, of Misha-waka, in the county ofSt. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Refrigerators, which tion, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in whichrefrigerator embodying myimprovementswith the doors mostly thrown open; Fig.2, a vertical section of thesame, taken on the line :0 a9, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a similar sectionthereof, taken on the line y y, Fig. 2.

My invention consists in arranging the inlet to the cooling-chamberabout on a level with or above the exit-opening through which the warmedair escapes from the latter, and providing the cooling-chamber with acorrugated ceiling, which directs the warm air to the exitflue.

It also consists in a peculiar construction of the under side of theicechamber bottom, whereby transverse channels are formed for conductingthe warm air to the exit-opening.

In the drawings, A represents the main body or frame-work of therefrigerator, which is of the upright class, provided with doors infront, and in its general construction, so far as the exterior walls areconcerned, is similar to many other refrigerators well known and inpublic use.

In the upper end of the refrigerator is the ice-chamber B, which extendsentirely across the interior of the structure, being formed by apartition, 0, which constitutes the bottom of the ice chamber orreceptacle. This chamber 13 isalso provided with a removable verticalpartition, D, extending across the chamber and dividing it into twocompartments when it is used.

The compartment 1) is the receptacle for the ice, and b, on the otherside of the partition, is for the reception of articles which it isdesired to preserve in the refrigerator, and may be provided with one ormore removable shelves, d.

It is thus evident that either. the entire chamber B or a portion, 1),thereof may be used as:

Below the ice-chamberB is the cooling-chamber E, and an air-passage, e,at one end of the ice-chamber connects the latter with the coolfingchamber, and'provides for the passage of 1 cold air down into the latterfrom the former. is fully described in the following-specifica- When theentire chamber B is used as the jice-receptacle, a similar air-passage,6, may be made at the other end thereof; but this may Figure 1represents a front elevation of a be covered or closed, when the movablepartition is employed, by a removable cover; or 1 it may be closedentirely and permanently, if

desired; or the air-passage may be left open,

1 and few holes made in the partition to permit the cold air to passthrough from the ice-cham- 1 ber over the provisions.

for cold air proceeding from the ice-chamber f The bottom 0 of theice-chamber is preferaj bly made of wood, and inclined from each endtoward the center, for the purpose of collecting the drip. i ing, 0, onwhich the ice rests, and which may It may have a metallic coverbecorrugated; or a rack or other suitable support may be employed for thispurpose.

On the under side of the bottom 0 is a 'cor rugated or grooved plate, F,the channels or grooves in which are arranged transversely to theice-chamber-that is, extend across from front to rear of therefrigerator. The channels or grooves in this plate F constituteconduits for the warm air and gases ascending in the coolin g-chamber E,and their arrangement serves to conduct these warm and light vaporsalong the channels in the upper end of the coolingchamber to the openspace Gin front of the ice-chamber, and between it and the outside ofthe refrigerator, which constitutes the exit or warm-air flue leadingfrom the cooling-chamber back to the ice-chamber, as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. diverted from the cold-air flues, through which cold airflows from the ice-chamber to the cooling-chamber, and permits the exitof the warm air to bemade on a level with, or even below, theinlet-opening by which the cold air enters the preserving-chamber.

The corrugated bottom F maybe made either straight or inclined towardthe center from the ends. In the former case the warm-air exit will beon a level with the cold-air inlet, and in the latter case will be, insome places, a little below the inlet-opening. The bottom F may be ofmetal, as described, or some other suitable material. It may even bemade of The warmer vapors are thus wood, in which case the channels maybe formed by grooves in the bottom, or by a series of ribs or cleatsfastened thereto.

Preferably an air-space, f, is left between the bottom 0 of theice-chamber and the corrugated bottom F, which tends to preventcondensation on the latter; and in this case the parts may be soarranged as to make this space deepest near the center of its length,where the greatest risk of condensation occurs. This may be effected byinclining the two bottoms at a different angle, or making the upper on'ehorizontal and the lower one inclined. This airspace f may, however, bedispensed with when the bottom proper of the ice-chamber is sufficientin itself to prevent chilling, and in either case the grooved bottom mayalso be made horizontal, instead of inclined, as shown in the drawings.v

The ice-chamber B is closed in front by two doors, H, each of whichcloses one of the divisions of this chamber when the partition D isemployed. Between these doors and the outside or outer doors of thestructure, when closed, there is a space, Gr, which, as above stated,constitutes the warm-air flue for the passage of air back into theice-chamber from the cooling-chamber, there being a space at the top ofthe doors H for the admission of this air into the ice-chamber, asindicated by arrows in the drawings.

The warm-air flue may be differentlyarranged,if desired; though I preferto arrange it in front, as above described, for the reason that when theouter doors are opened the warm air that enters from the outside willhave a tendency to pass directly to the ice-chamber, thereby causing aless disturbance in the temperature of the cooling-chamber than wouldotherwise occur.

At the front of the structure there are three doorson one side a door,I, extending from top to bottom, and providing for admission to thecooling-chamber E, and the compartment 1) of the upper or ice chamber,B; on the other side a door, J, extending only as high as thecooling-chamber, and opening into it only; and above it a third door, K,which permits admittance to the compartment 1) of the ice-chamber.

In the drawings the lower door, J, is represented as provided with aseparate frame,

' so as to be entirely independent of the others.

. tire chamber B, wheneverdesired, for the in troduction of ice, or anyother purpose.

It is evident that the corrugated bottom for directing the warm-aircurrent is not necessarily limited in its application to therefrigerator constructed in all respects like the one herein shown anddescribed; but it may be employed with refrigerators of differentconstruction and difl'erent arrangement of ice chamber. It may be founddesirable, in some instances, to leave a very narrow strip at the end ofthis corrugated bottom next to the coldair flue perfectly plain, andalso at both ends when there is a cold-air flue at each end of theice-chamber.

In the refrigerator constructed as above described, the structure isequally well adapted for storing large or small quantities of ice, asmay be desired, thereby enabling me to obtain the advantages and obviatethe disadvantages attendant upon the use of either style alone. Thegrooved or corrugated airconductor also permits such an arrangement ofair-flues as is most convenient and economical of space; and thearrangement of the doors affords access to either of the compartmentsindependently of the others, except in the case of the long doorextending from top to bottom I of the structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cold-air flue or fines, in combination with the warm-air flue,the outlet of the latter being on substantially the same level as theinlet of the former into the cooling-chamber, and a grooved orcorrugated ceiling for the cooling-chamber, the channels of which leaddirectly to the warm -air flue, whereby the warm air is prevented fromentering the coldair flue, and is conducted to its proper exitflue,substantially as described.

2. The ice-chamber B, in combination with the cold-air flue e at the endor ends of the ice-chamber, opening into the coolingchamber immediatelyat the ceiling thereof, the warm-air flue opening out of thecooling-chamber directly from the ceiling thereof and extending up onone side of the ice-chamber, and the corrugated plate F on the ceilingof the cooling-chamber, having its channels or corrugations arrangedparallel to the cold-air fines, and perpendicular to, and leading into,the warm-air flue, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The wooden bottom 0 of the ice-chamber, in combination with thecorrugated plate F, and formin g the ceiling of the cooling-chamber, andarranged with an air-space, f, be-

tween it and the bottom 0, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

JOSEPH BOSTWIOK.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. CLARK, JOHN FEITEN.

